In the treatment of human diseases and ailments, it is sometimes necessary to form an opening in the patient's anatomy and to maintain that opening for an indefinite period of time. For instance, diseases involving different parts of the gastro-intestinal and urinary tract can result in a patient being left with an abdominal stoma. The three most common types of abdominal stomas are the colostomy, the ileostomy and the ileal conduit. In the case of an ileostomy, ileal conduit and many colostomy operations, the patient is unable to control the passage of bodily waste material and must rely upon an appliance attached to the body to collect this material.
Various appliances have been proposed in the prior art. A majority of these appliances involve the use of gels or other adhesive materials which must be placed between the skin of the user and the bag connector. However, these gels are often messy to apply and are often inadequate to prevent leaks. For instance, if a user perspires, such as after exercise or on a hot day, these gels or adhesive materials are often ineffective in providing a leak-proof seal.
Further, many of the prior art arrangements are rather complicated to operate because they require a user to assemble various components. Thus, the user tends to avoid changing the ileostomy or colostomy bag and bacterial infections or other problems may arise. Further, as a complicated sealing arrangement is required, it is often difficult for the bag to be properly attached to the multi-piece connector and leaks may therefore arise.
Furthermore, such multi-piece complicated arrangements may be time consuming and may be difficult for certain users, such as elderly, handicapped or impaired persons or those with arthritis, to use. Over time, these multi-piece prior art constructions are subject to wear. Due to their multi-piece constructions, this wear can result in leaking of the prior art connectors. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost for these multi-piece prior art connectors tend to rise because of the need for manufacturing and packaging of several different components.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a simple and effective bag connector which is easy to operate, which avoids the use of gels and adhesive materials and which provides a reliable leak-proof seal.